the history-第48节

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ich　followed；　and　it　was　not　till　vast　numbers　had　been　slain　upon　both　sides；　that　the　Egyptians　turned　and　fled。　　　　　On　the　field　where　this　battle　was　fought　I　saw　a　very　wonderful　thing　which　the　natives　pointed　out　to　me。　The　bones　of　the　slain　lie　scattered　upon　the　field　in　two　lots；　those　of　the　Persians　in　one　place　by　themselves；　as　the　bodies　lay　at　the　first…　those　of　the　Egyptians　in　another　place　apart　from　them。　If；　then；　you　strike　the　Persian　skulls；　even　with　a　pebble；　they　are　so　weak；　that　you　break　a　hole　in　them；　but　the　Egyptian　skulls　are　so　strong；　that　you　may　smite　them　with　a　stone　and　you　will　scarcely　break　them　in。　They　gave　me　the　following　reason　for　this　difference；　which　seemed　to　me　likely　enough：…　The　Egyptians　（they　said）　from　early　childhood　have　the　head　shaved；　and　so　by　the　action　of　the　sun　the　skull　becomes　thick　and　hard。　The　same　cause　prevents　baldness　in　Egypt；　where　you　see　fewer　bald　men　than　in　any　other　land。　Such；　then；　is　the　reason　why　the　skulls　of　the　Egyptians　are　so　strong。　The　Persians；　on　the　other　hand；　have　feeble　skulls；　because　they　keep　themselves　shaded　from　the　first；　wearing　turbans　upon　their　heads。　What　I　have　here　mentioned　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes；　and　I　observed　also　the　like　at　Papremis；　in　the　case　of　the　Persians　who　were　killed　with　Achaeamenes；　the　son　of　Darius；　by　Inarus　the　Libyan。　　　　　The　Egyptians　who　fought　in　the　battle；　no　sooner　turned　their　backs　upon　the　enemy；　than　they　fled　away　in　complete　disorder　to　Memphis；　where　they　shut　themselves　up　within　the　walls。　Hereupon　Cambyses　sent　a　Mytilenaean　vessel；　with　a　Persian　herald　on　board；　who　was　to　sail　up　the　Nile　to　Memphis；　and　invite　the　Egyptians　to　a　surrender。　They；　however；　when　they　saw　the　vessel　entering　the　town；　poured　forth　in　crowds　from　the　castle；　destroyed　the　ship；　and；　tearing　the　crew　limb　from　limb；　so　bore　them　into　the　fortress。　After　this　Memphis　was　besieged；　and　in　due　time　surrendered。　Hereon　the　Libyans　who　bordered　upon　Egypt；　fearing　the　fate　of　that　country；　gave　themselves　up　to　Cambyses　without　a　battle；　made　an　agreement　to　pay　tribute　to　him；　and　forthwith　sent　him　gifts。　The　Cyrenaeans　too；　and　the　Barcaeans；　having　the　same　fear　as　the　Libyans；　immediately　did　the　like。　Cambyses　received　the　Libyan　presents　very　graciously；　but　not　so　the　gifts　of　the　Cyrenaeans。　They　had　sent　no　more　than　five　hundred　minx　of　silver；　which　Cambyses；　I　imagine；　thought　too　little。　He　therefore　snatched　the　money　from　them；　and　with　his　own　hands　scattered　it　among　his　soldiers。　　　　　Ten　days　after　the　fort　had　fallen；　Cambyses　resolved　to　try　the　spirit　of　Psammenitus；　the　Egyptian　king；　whose　whole　reign　had　been　but　six　months。　He　therefore　had　him　set　in　one　of　the　suburbs；　and　many　other　Egyptians　with　him；　and　there　subjected　him　to　insult。　First　of　all　he　sent　his　daughter　out　from　the　city；　clothed　in　the　garb　of　a　slave；　with　a　pitcher　to　draw　water。　Many　virgins；　the　daughters　of　the　chief　nobles；　accompanied　her；　wearing　the　same　dress。　When　the　damsels　came　opposite　the　place　where　their　fathers　sate；　shedding　tears　and　uttering　cries　of　woe；　the　fathers；　all　but　Psammenitus；　wept　and　wailed　in　return；　grieving　to　see　their　children　in　so　sad　a　plight；　but　he；　when　he　had　looked　and　seen；　bent　his　head　towards　the　ground。　In　this　way　passed　by　the　water…carriers。　Next　to　them　came　Psammenitus'　son；　and　two　thousand　Egyptians　of　the　same　age　with　him…　all　of　them　having　ropes　round　their　necks　and　bridles　in　their　mouths…　and　they　too　passed　by　on　their　way　to　suffer　death　for　the　murder　of　the　Mytilenaeans　who　were　destroyed；　with　their　vessel；　in　Memphis。　For　so　had　the　royal　judges　given　their　sentence　for　each　Mytilenaean　ten　of　the　noblest　Egyptians　must　forfeit　life。〃　King　Psammenitus　saw　the　train　pass　on；　and　knew　his　son　was　being　led　to　death；　but　while　the　other　Egyptians　who　sate　around　him　wept　and　were　sorely　troubled；　he　showed　no　further　sign　than　when　he　saw　his　daughter。　And　now；　when　they　too　were　gone；　it　chanced　that　one　of　his　former　boon…companions；　a　man　advanced　in　years；　who　had　been　stripped　of　all　that　he　had　and　was　a　beggar；　came　where　Psammenitus；　son　of　Amasis；　and　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians　were；　asking　alms　from　the　soldiers。　At　this　sight　the　king　burst　into　tears；　and　weeping　out　aloud；　called　his　friend　by　his　name；　and　smote　himself　on　the　head。　Now　there　were　some　who　had　been　set　to　watch　Psammenitus　and　see　what　he　would　do　as　each　train　went　by；　so　these　persons　went　and　told　Cambyses　of　his　behaviour。　Then　he；　astonished　at　what　was　done；　sent　a　messenger　to　Psammenitus；　and　questioned　him；　saying；　〃Psammenitus；　thy　lord　Cambyses　asketh　thee　why；　when　thou　sawest　thy　daughter　brought　to　shame；　and　thy　son　on　his　way　to　death；　thou　didst　neither　utter　cry　nor　shed　tear；　while　to　a　beggar；　who　is；　he　hears；　a　stranger　to　thy　race；　thou　gavest　those　marks　of　honour。〃　To　this　question　Psammenitus　made　answer；　〃O　son　of　Cyrus；　my　own　misfortunes　were　too　great　for　tears；　but　the　woe　of　my　friend　deserved　them。　When　a　man　falls　from　splendour　and　plenty　into　beggary　at　the　threshold　of　old　age；　one　may　well　weep　for　him。〃　When　the　messenger　brought　back　this　answer；　Cambyses　owned　it　was　just；　Croesus；　likewise；　the　Egyptians　say；　burst　into　tears…　for　he　too　had　come　into　Egypt　with　Cambyses…　and　the　Persians　who　were　present　wept。　Even　Cambyses　himself　was　touched　with　pity；　and　he　forthwith　gave　an　order　that　the　son　of　Psammenitus　should　be　spared　from　the　number　of　those　appointed　to　die；　and　Psammenitus　himself　brought　from　the　suburb　into　his　presence。　　　　　The　messengers　were　too　late　to　save　the　life　of　Psammenitus'　son；　who　had　been　cut　in　pieces　the　first　of　all；　but　they　took　Psammenitus　himself　and　brought　him　before　the　king。　Cambyses　allowed　him　to　live　with　him；　and　gave　him　no　more　harsh　treatment；　nay；　could　he　have　kept　from　intermeddling　with　affairs；　he　might　have　recovered　Egypt；　and　ruled　it　as　governor。　For　the　Persian　wont　is　to　treat　the　sons　of　kings　with　honour；　and　even　to　give　their　fathers'　kingdoms　to　the　children　of　such　as　revolt　from　them。　There　are　many　cases　from　which　one　may　collect　that　this　is　the　Persian　rule；　and　especially　those　of　Pausiris　and　Thannyras。　Thannyras　was　son　of　Inarus　the　Libyan；　and　was　allowed　to　succeed　his　father；　as　was　also　Pausiris；　son　of　Amyrtaeus；　yet　certainly　no　two　persons　ever　did　the　Persians　more　damage　than　Amyrtaeus　and　Inarus。　In　this　case　Psammenitus　plotted　evil；　and　received　his　reward　accordingly。　He　was　discovered　to　be　stirring　up　revolt　in　Egypt；　wherefore　Cambyses；　when　his　guilt　clearly　appeared；　compelled　him　to　drink　bull's　blood；　which　presently　caused　his　death。　Such　was　the　end　of　Psammenitus。　　　　　After　this　Cambyses　left　Memphis；　and　went　to　Sais；　wishing　to　do　that　which　he　actually　did　on　his　arrival　there。　He　entered　the　palace　of　Amasis；　and　straightway　commanded　that　the　body　of　the　king　should　be　brought　forth　from　the　sepulchre。　When　the　attendants　did　according　to　his　commandment；　he　further　bade　them　scourge　the　body；　and　prick　it　with　goads；　and　pluck　the　hair　from　it；　and　heap　upon　it　all　manner　of　insults。　The　body；　however；　having　been　embalmed；　resisted；　and　refused　to　come　apart；　do　what　they　would　to　it；　so　the　attendants　grew　weary　of　their　work；　whereupon　Cambyses　bade　them　take　the　corpse　and　burn　it。　This　was　truly　an　impious　command　to　give；　for　the　Persians　hold　fire　to　be　a　god；　and　never　by　any　chance　burn　their　dead。　Indeed　this　practice　is　unlawful；　both　with　them　and　with　the　Egyptians…　with　them　for　the　reason　above　mentioned；　since　they　deem　it　wrong　to　give　the　corpse　of　a　man　to　a　god；　and　with　the　Egyptians；　because　they　believe　fire　to　be　a　live　animal；　which　eats　whatever　it　can　seize；　and　then；　glutted　with　the　food；　dies　with　the　matter　which　it　feeds　upon。　Now　to　give　a　man's　body　to　be　devoured　by　beasts　is　in　no　wise　agreeable　to　their　customs；　and　indeed　this　is　the　very　reason　why　they　embalm　their　dead；　namely；　to　prevent　them　from　being　eaten　in　the　grave　by　worms。　Thus　Cambyses　commanded　what　both　nations　accounted　unlawful。　According　to　the　Egyptians；　it　was　not　Amasis　who　was　thus　treated；　but　another　of　their　nation　who　was　of　about　the　same　height。　The　Persians；　believing　this　man's　body　to　be　the　king's；　abused　it　in　the　fashion　described　above。　Amasis；　they　say；　was　warned　by　an　oracle　of　what　would　happen　to　him　after　his　death：　in　order；　therefore；　to　prevent　the　impending　fate；　he　buried　the　body；　which　afterwards　received　the　blows；　inside　his　own　tomb　near　the　entrance；　commanding　his　son　to　bury　him；　when　he　died；　in　the　furthest　recess　of　the　same　sepulchre。　For　my　own　part　I　do　not　believe　that　these　orders　were　ever　given　by　Amasis；　the　Egyptians；　as　it　seems　to　me；　falsely　assert　it；　to　save　their　own　dignity。　　　　　After　this　Cambyses　took　counsel　with　himself；　and　planned　three　expeditions。　One　was　against　the　Carthaginians；　another　against　the　Ammonians；　and　a　third　against　the　long…lived　Ethiopians；　who　dwelt　in　that　part　of　Libya　which　borders　upon　the　southern　sea。　He　judged　it　best　to　despatch　his　fleet　against　Carthage　and　to　send　some　portion　of　his　land　army　to　act　against　the　Ammon